Self-cleaning hand rake



Feb. 5, J A H L SELF- CLEANING HAND RAKE Filed May 5, 1947 2 SHEETS-Sl-IEET 1 Feb. 5, 1952 J. A. l-iEALY SELF-CLEANING HAND RAKE Filed May 5, 1947 2 SX-lEETS--SHEET 2 Patented Feb. 5, 1952 UNITED STATES OFFICE 2,584,848 SELF-CLEANING HAND RAKE Mexico Application May 3, 1947, Serial No. 745,832 4 Claims. (01. 56-400.08)

My invention relates to an improvement in rake wherein it is desired to provide a rake of the self-cleaning type.

In raking grass, leaves, weeds, or the like, the material being raked often becomes impaled upon the tines of the rake or wedged therebetween, lessening the efficiency of the rake. As a result it is necessary from time to time to dislodge the material on or between the prongs or tines of the rake in order to accomplish the desired task to the best advantage. Means have been provided for cleaning the material raked from the tines of the rake as it is used. Most such means, however, require manual manipulation or operation, thereby adding to the difiiculty of the operation.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a rake equipped with a simple and effective means of stripping grass, leaves, weeds, or other material raked from the prongs or tines of the rake as it is used. This means operates automatically to remove the material raked from the tines. As a result the rake is kept free of foreign material during the raking operation. A feature of the present invention resides in providing a stripping member designed to extend on both sides of a row of tines or teeth, and to resiliently urge material raked from the ends of these tines or prongs. This stripping means is resiliently supported by the rake and may be forced upwardly away from the free ends of the tines during the raking operation. However, as soon as the rake is lifted the resilient means supporting the stripping means forces the material clingin to the tines oii the free ends of the tines.

. A feature of the present invention resides in form and possesses suflicient spring to clean the rake while at the same time allowing the striping means to move upwardly along the tines while the rake is being used.

A feature of the present invention lies in con necting the ends of the stripping means to the upper portion of the rake body by resilient loops which permit considerable flexibility of the stripping means. This connecting loop is of sufiicient length to provide the necessary resilience without detracting from the normal operation of the rake.

These and other objects and novel features of my invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of my specification: 7

Figure l is a perspective view of a rake showing my stripping means attached thereto.

Figure 2 is a perspective view similar to Figure 1 showing a detachable construction of a type suitable to fit rakes of various sizes and shapes.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a modified form of construction.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view through the stripping means shown in Figures 1 and 2 taken on the lines 4-4, the tine being removed.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view through a modified form of construction from that illustrated in Figure 4.

The rake A, illustrated in Figure l of the drawings, includes a transverse rake bar or body It) having a series of tines or teeth It extending downwardly therefrom. The tines or teeth 1 I may be straight or may be curved to some extent, the particular formation of the teeth having little effeet on the operation of the apparatus, unless the teeth be curved to a considerable extent. The rake bar or body It is provided with a ferrule or socket l2 projecting rearwardly therefrom at the desired angle. The socket I2 is designed to accommodate the rake handle [3, only a portion of which is illustrated in the drawing.

The stripping member comprises a flexible resilient strip it which includes a relatively flat center portion IS, a pair of looped ends I5, and inturned end portions H extending substantially parallel to the fiat portion It and extending inwardly in opposed relation. Anchoring ends I9 are provided on the inwardly extending end members it, these anchoring 'ends l9 being welded or otherwise affixed to opposite ends of the rake bar or body Hl.

A series of holes 23 shaped to fit about the tines H are provided in the flat central portion [5 of the strip It. These apertures 28 embrace the tines II and strip any material accumulated on the tines therefrom. The apertures 20 also serve to guide the strip M in its vertical movement holding the strip from longitudinal or transverse movement.

In preferred form the central portion l5 of the strip is tap'ered'adjacent the apertures 2!! to provide a thin cross section near these apertures as illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawings. The outer edges 22 of the strip portion M are relatively thick and the thickness of the strip de' creases toward its center so as to provide a relatively narrow edge 23 about the apertures 20. Thus the bearing of the tines against the strip is reduced to a minimum so thatlittle or no material may become wedged between the edges of the apertures and the tines.

As the rake A is used, leaves and other material tend to gather on the tines and between the same, beneath,,the stripping membefi: i5. The loops It flex in a manner to'allow thestripping member 15 to move away from the free ends of the tines or prongs. contact with the ground the loop ends. Iii; possess sufficient resilience to urgethe stripping member 15 downwardly to dislodge material clinging to or wedged between the tines.

In Figure of the drawingsldisclose aconstruction virtually identical ith that, of Figure 4, with the exception of the I surface of the stripping member is tapered rather than the lower surface thereof However, in Figure 5, as in Figure 4, the 'strip I5 -tapers from the widest section near the edgestzthereof to a relatively thin section near the edges 23 of tha pettu e. 0 qtq ..tlie;.apertn e 2 The r -ks a i Q.I. %..tl w 1 ma be s d ma ct ed. t an. an w co ur e: dr win s}! s a S r p tachment which may, be used on conventional y es of r kes, the stripp n mea b i tached thereto. The rake B includesa rake bar r o Zt-haizinsser es ami e or prongs extendingndownwardly .thfirffrom. A socket. 25 is secured the beds/.724 in any suitable manner and ts a am an o lsg pqrti s h t n le.

'Ehe'; stripping means, includes an. elon ated strip 29 having a hole 30 extending most of the ns htth re .Ehs ha ts 3 a a i e o a mmqd e h t nes The S ri la y be of e r s' ec cnel rasim a to. th s ri pin mg u V i v A pring look 3l;of,r es i1i ent material issecured ta ea hlend- ..tneelem iit .z ab'ylme f a. l oroap sgirew iiz The bolt oin'cap screw 32 extends through the, ole tfia d holds theloop 3i.- and StllD-ZQQSSQIhLhlGQ Each-loop. 3| is p ovided with ,a-pair qf depending ears 33 designed o n a e n Qpnqs tesid s tt em eb y 2 A- o t extsn s-flireush t a t hold the member engaged upontherake. T e b lt meierab end enea h t bar 24 andbetween certain of the prongszfi, thus holding theloops-from disengagement upon the rake.

T e-triathl n the-r k B is ide i r thatof the rakeA. The, stripping plate 2 9-and its attached-endloops, 3| f iayfhowevenbe at tached to vi tuall-y anystandard rake andprov de a s ripe Vie-me s her fo In Figure Bof the drawingsl disclose another form ofstripping means which may be attached to any standard conventionalrake. The rake C includes arake bodysimilar to that previously deseflt iansl; n lu n a b r or bo y,- 5 haying aseriesof-prongs ortines 36 depending t1 eft 'Q as c t; s at ache t h e r- 5-z r eac mm a i n. i, the han 9. 0 13! a portion of which is illustrated.

he, s ping means omp ses a n inot s ac wires or rods 40 which; extend on opposite sides of the tines orprongs 36. These rodsjll'} are similarly constructed and are formed of flexible and resilient material. Eachof the wire members ill includes acentral straightportion designed to extend throughoutthe width of the rake, and s g t yeyq den s hereof, L o s.- a ssnds; oi the t i ht o tio s. 4

vided. at; hs elles rtermmatms:

However, when the rake is lifted from act' that the upper nard xvturn dzend 1 portions 43. The end portions 43 are sufficiently long to overlie the ends of the rake body 35.

A pair of channel-shaped elements 54 extend over the rake body bar 35 and are attached thereto by any=suitable means, such as by a bolt extending through the parallel sides 45- of each channel. Each bolt 45 preferably extends be- --neath the body bar 35 and between a pair of teeth 7 35, so as tohold the channel firmly in place.

straightportion 4| thereof. The clamping plates -51 are provided with parallel grooves 52 therein to accommodate the wires 40 and are clamped together by bolts or e'ap' screwfs 53. The clamping plates 5! thus hold the intermediate straight p01: tions ii of the rods or wires- 3B in parallel relationship andop positesides o f the tines,

The operatiorr'ot the rake (C is virtually identical with that of the rakes A and B. Material inn paled upon the prohgsbfwedged between the same tends to raise the intermediate portions 4% of the stripping membersflli-whenthe rake is in operation, but the resilience of the loop ends 42 tends to stripthe material from the tines when the rake i evated.

In accordance with the patent statuteai have described the'principlesjof constructionand cperation of rake construction, and while have endeavored to set forth'the best embodiments thereof, I desireto have iii-understood that obvious changes may be made Within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention. 1

I claim: I V V l. A stripping means;iorus'e inccmbination wi h erra a ha ing... ntlqnsa ed ak b dy and avin aseries'qf arallelp is iesl e ththe eupo t e, st pn ns mea scpmp isinsj a p ir of spac d. rods." l e, st eishtin t n desi ed. o ex end q p siteides f th tines of,the,rake lcopedendson said I'QdSfQlXi ing, a plurality of convolutiQns,. hav ing generally l o zqn al,.a s means. connec i he/ends. of a d rbdstq e rake bo a d mean hoid nathe intermediate portions of said rods in substantially parallel relationship,

2, strippi evic ehfor, afrake having ,an elongated bar and a series, of, prongs. projecting th re rq a, the'gsie iqe imlwl nsan e on el ment designedfto. extend onv each side of the series of pro s. a lexibl esilient o a s t a h a d igsa d. e sneatedj ele ne t, to .ce t t e on ated. element; el lft r e on ne e d thet s chet ineai scsmnr si ee p ural rcoonvolut ions having pa allel; axes substantially normal, toa planeli hlQ Qthet'axes offthe tines, 7 ion. ly ng s ubstantiallyin a sa e inner hi this ne t n 3. A. stfifipinadevicefor av rakehayingen elqnsated Panama-. fr el st nes jecting; therefrom, th evice comprising two Similar a d elemen s;exam nati s prss sides: of the prongs,-the guard elements including a straight center portion, a convolute, spring coil at each;;end;:thereof;,including one and one half onyol tic se exte d-i s. o e side. of 5 p a through said center portion and normal to the 5 6 axes of the spring coils, and end portions on said REFERENCES CITED spring coils substantially parallel to said straight The following references are of record in the center portion, means for securing said end porfile of this patent:

tions to the ends of said bar, and means securing said straight center portions of the two guard UNITED STATES PATENTS elements in parallel relation on opposite sides of Number Name Date said prongs. 394,521 Thorp Dec. 11, 1888 4. The structure defined in claim 3 in which 479,940 Haldenian Aug. 2, 1892 the coil convolutions of both guard elements lie 677,774 Dawson July 2, 1901 substantially in a plane through the axes of the 10 710,900 Smith Oct. 7, 1902 prongs. 1,343,366 Hinkle June 15, 1920 JOHN A. HEA Y- 1,648,284 Seaton Nov. 8, 1927 2.183278 Kelley Dec. 12, 1939 

